Vestige
by CHIBI-CRAZY
Summary: As if Kadaj's gang wasn't enough, now another of ShinRa's experiments is on the loose. One that had a part in Cloud's past. And now she's become a part of Reunion. With attachments to both sides, who will she join? Yazoo/OC smidgen of Cloud/OC
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I am only going to do this once for the whole story because I'm tired of always writing it. I DO NOT own Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children, or any of Square Enix's characters. I do however own my OC's...Hence the 'oc'.**_

_**A/N:**__** This chapter has been EDITED**_

* * *

**Prologue**

_I remember that day very clearly...The day I awoke...The day I was born. It sounds weird, I know, but I can never remember anything before that day. It makes me wonder..._

_I don't even remember waking up – I just...opened my eyes. Everything looked blurry. Of course, that was probably because of the water. _

_I was in some sort of tank. There was what looked like IV needles in my arms. I had a breathing mask covering my mouth and nose. I didn't know why I was in there, but I didn't like it._

_I took a deep breath with the mask still on my face, then I ripped it off and slammed my right shoulder and the side of my head against the side of the tank. The glass broke and I gasped for air, enjoying it more than what I was getting from the mask._

_I broke the rest of the glass with my elbow, and yanked out the needles from my arms and one from the back of my neck. That was the only one that hurt. _

_I realized that I didn't have any cloths on! I had just my undergarments on, which made the cold air seem even cooler. I looked around the room I was in...It was empty, except for my tank and a desk with a small computer monitor on it._

_There was also a chair with a lab coat hanging on it. I stumbled over to it, and put the coat on. When I pulled my left arm through the coat's sleeve, I noticed a thin, metal band on my wrist. There was something engraved on it. I looked at the writing and it read, 'J.E-S.C-I.E'. (Pronounced Jessie)._

_I glanced at the computer screen. I guessed that it was to watch me in the tank, seeing as it looked like one of those heart monitor things. It also had stats on my breathing and what looked like information on the drugs that must've been given to me through the IVs. Apparently, I woke up because the drugs keeping me asleep had run out._

_The top of the screen had the same name that was on the band on my wrist. I looked at it, not liking it. It made me feel like a pet with its name tag. I tried to take in off, but when I pulled at it a sharp pain ran up my arm and I hissed at the feeling. It wasn't until I examined the band a little closer that I realized why it hurt. It looked like it had been welded into my skin!_

_I growled a little, but let it go. Looking around again, I noticed a door on the other side of the room. I walked over to it. It was locked, but taking a step back, I slammed against it like I did with the tank. It took a few tries, but the door wasn't too heavy, or thick. Only a few minutes later did I manage to bust through the damn thing. _

_I walked in and looked around. I was in some sort of lab, with much more equipment than the one behind the door I'd just rammed my way through. There wasn't much time to sight-see and examine the machinery and booked strewn around the place, because at that moment my eyes found themselves in sight of the room's other occupant._

_It was a man, wearing a sort of black uniform, with spikey, sable hair. He was lying face down on the floor, surrounded by broken glass. It looked like he had just escaped, like me. There was even a tank like mine, with its walls shattered as well, behind him. _

_I heard footsteps coming from outside another door, and I hid behind the one I had come out of before. Another man came out, this one wearing a lab coat like the one I took. Thinking fast, I picked up an old pole that was lying nearby on instinct, as he walked over to the man on the floor. _

_When he got closer, the dark haired man stood up. He pushed the scientist back toward my hiding spot. I stepped out as the lab-coat reached me, and hit him as hard as I could with the pole. The one with the dark hair was surprised to see me, but he shook it off. "Thanks," He muttered, and at that moment I noticed he had blue eyes. _

_They had a strange glow to them that some people might have found frightening; I, however, found them fascinating. I blinked as my thoughts were shifted once again to our surroundings, and I watched as he moved to the containment tank next to the one he had come out of. It looked like there was another man it there. This one had blond hair, but it was just as spikey like the first guy's – only a bit shorter. I couldn't help but notice the blonde guy was kind of cute, but I immediately shook that ridiculous thought away._

_While the one with dark hair looked for a way to free his friend, I looked around some more. "We have to hurry," I called softly to him, my mind drifting far away as I looked around more, "Someone will be here soon."_

_He didn't respond, but I knew he heard. I looked at one of the computer screens, and found an already open file. It had pictures of the guy and his friend, and it had all kinds if information on them. His name was Zack Fair, and his friend was Cloud Strife. It said that Zack had been a part of SOLDIER, and Cloud was an infantryman. _

_I glanced back at them; Zack had found some sort of switch and was pulling Cloud out of the tank without the need of breaking it – good, the less noise the better. It looked like poor Cloud was half-dead, and looked back to the file to try and find out what had happened to these guys. Turns out, Cloud had suffered a bad reaction to something called Mako. Zack was apparently tough enough to handle the dosage, but Cloud got poisoned...It made me sick to my stomach thinking about it._

_When I turned around again, Zack was already dragging Cloud to the exit door. I ran over and opened it for him. He thanked me and kept walking, and I followed closely behind still gripping my pole. As we looked for a way out of the building, Zack held on to Cloud while I helped grab him from the other side with my free arm. Things got eerily quiet as we exited what I found to be a mansion, but I didn't mind. I was trying to sort a few things out in my head._

_Things like: what was going on here? Who am I? Why was I _in _there? How did I suddenly wake up after who-knew-how-long? Those, and about another hundred questions, were all spinning in my head. I didn't even think I knew my name! _If I _had_ a name…_ I thought bitterly_

_It frightened me how, for some strange reason, I knew about Mako, and how it was used for creating energy. I knew what SOLDIER was. I knew, somehow, that something called ShinRa had put me in that tank and I hated them for it. But I didn't know how or why. I felt like an amnesia patient, and information from my past was slowly coming back. But there was no info about _me_ other than what had just transpired since opening my eyes. _

* * *

_Zack took us to a small inn, in some town I was too distracted to remember the name of. He left me to take care of Cloud while he went to go get something. I wasn't sure what he was doing, but I didn't really care. I just sat down on one of the beds in the room, watching Cloud sleep on the other. He started to twitch in his sleep, showing that he was still alive. For that I was grateful._

_The door opened, and Zack came in with a bag in his hand. "Here," He gave it to me, "It was all I could find. I hope they fit..." I gave the bag a confused look, cocking my head to the side as I examined the plastic it was made out of, before taking it with a nod as thanks._

_The bag was filled with a few articles of cloths; A black tank-top with thin straps, tan shorts that would reach my mid-thighs, black sneakers and a pair of ankle-cut socks. I figured since I was already in my undergarments, I'd just get dressed there in front of him. Zack didn't seem to mind, and Cloud was unresponsive – shocker – but the former did generously avert his eyes. The cloths surprisingly fit me – he did well in guessing my size. "Thanks...For everything..." I mumbled akwarly, not knowing much about communicating with people, before walking towards the door._

"Huh..?W-wait!" He called.

_I looked back at him, still unsure about what to expect from both these people, and myself. He had a hand outstretched, but pulled it back when I glanced curiously at him. "Yes..?" I said, tilting my head again._

_Zack looked at his feet for a minute, then looked up and asked, "What's your name..? I-I'm Zack..." He added when I didn't speak. I said nothing about already knowing his name. In fact, I didn't talk at all._

_I looked down, thinking,"Jescie..." I finally answered, looking back up, "C-call me…Jescie..." _**(1)**

_He nodded silently, and neither one of us made to speak again. Without another word, I left..._

_**A/N-**_

**: Just pointing out that the name is pronounced as you would Jessie, it simply has different spelling **

**EDIT: I had never actually played the original FFVII game before I began writing this so long ago. So it wasn't until I went and watched cutscenes on Youtube that I found out there was already a character named Jesse in the game. I just wanted to point out that my OC in **_**no way**_** related to that character, it was just a coincidence. It happens to be a very common name!**


	2. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**__** This chapter has been EDITED**_

_**Key-**_

"Dialogue"

_'Thoughts'_

_**Memories/Dreams**_

* * *

**Chapter One**

A lone figure stood on the edge of the cliff. As the figure waited, she began to unconsciously stroke the blade that stood imbedded into the ground. _'Cloud…' _She thought anxiously, _'Where are you?'_

Jecsie was getting impatient; she had been standing on the same spot for a while now, and she was getting impatient. Glancing around, she walked back to where her motorcycle was parked, just a few yards from where she had been standing.

Since she and Zack went their separate ways, her attire had changed; she still wore the cotton black top that he had given her. But now, over it, she wore an open, black leather jacket with sleeves that stopped right above her elbows, and a single fingerless glove with a Velcro strap on her right hand. Her left hand was bare, except for the silver bracelet with her name.

She had on a pair of black, jean shorts that reached to the top of her thighs. She had straps on her mid-thighs that held a pair of sai to her person. She also wore a belt in her shorts, which held the holster holding her .45super special handgun. She had kept the shoes that Zack had given her, but now wore them with fishnet stockings that reached to her sai straps.

Her hair – which reached to the middle of her back - was a silvery, metallic color, and it had streaks of black here and there. Many would think that she had colored it manually. But no, they had grown in themselves over time. It was strange, but really, who would complain? She didn't – she liked them. It was left down for the most part, with her bangs swept to the side, falling over her right eye. She had two thin black ribbons braided into her hair on each side of her head that tied at the back, without a bow. She felt like a child with "pretty ribbons in her hair", as little Marlene had said when she put them there, but she couldn't deny the child her fun.

Jecsie leaned against the cold metal of her motorcycle frame, closing her Mako-blue eyes. 'Maybe I'm too early...' She thought, 'But I _know_ I saw him riding through here...'

Her eyes stayed closed, and eventually, she fell victim to the world of dreams...No, not dreams – nightmares. Because when she fell, she fell back to _that day_...

* * *

_That day...I cried...The first and only time..._

_It was a long while after I had left Zack at the Inn, but I had no way of keeping track of time. So I couldn't say for sure how long it had been. I'd kept up the nomadic habit of not staying anywhere too long, and I didn't know where I was now._

_It was raining, and the sound of gunshots was ringing in my ears. At first...I didn't know what to think...I just thought of nothing. Because they were too far away for me to hear much of anything else, and I was far enough away that I didn't have to worry about them coming after me. So I didn't think a thing. I just tried to ignore it – key word _tried_. But there was a strong pain in my chest that got worse and worse with every shot. And I didn't know why..._

_Then somehow...After the sound ended, and after I had wandered aimlessly a bit more, I found myself looking down at him..._

_Zack...was on the ground. I saw Cloud, hovering over him; he was finally up and active, and I was relieved about that. But his glowing blue eyes looked so sad, and I felt my stomach drop as I really took in what I was seeing . They were talking, and even though I was a good nine yards away, I could still hear some of what was being said. "...live!" I watched as Zack pulled his friend against him._

_Live...That's what he wanted Cloud to do. I stopped listening – though I could still hear them – as I finally realized what was going on. I finally registered the tears in the sable-haired clothes – they were bullet holes...Zack...He was __dying__! When Cloud lifted his head, I could see Zack's blood covering his face, and I felt bile rise in my throat. "You'll be..." My ears focused on what Zack was saying, "my living legacy..." he was struggling with his words now. "My honor, my dreams," He lifted his sword up, handing it to Cloud, "There yours now."_

_He took the sword in both of his hands. There was a sudden ringing in my years. All their words and Cloud's screams were lost to me. My hands covered my ears to try and stop it, my eyes blank and glazed over with tears. I couldn't bare it any longer..._

_When I looked back Cloud was gone; I could see him walking towards a city...Midgar I believe. I ran to Zack. I skidded to a stop, falling on my knees. "...Zack..." His eyes were glazed, but I could still see life in them, "Zack," I tried again, this time louder, but my voice started shaking._

_His eyes focused again, looking at me. "Je...Jecsie..." His voice was strangled, but he managed._

"_Zack..." My hands were shaking now too, as I began running them gently through his hair. I'd hoped that it would sooth him, because I didn't know how else to take away the pain I knew was wracking his body. I didn't know why I cared so much. I had just met him...Yet, I felt so afraid to let him die. _'Maybe because he saved you...'_ I thought._

_Whatever the reason, I couldn't stand it. Seeing him die only made the pain in my chest worsen. "Promise me..." His words brought me back from my thoughts, "Promise me...that you'll watch him for me...Keep a close eye on him..."_

_I smiled the fakest, most sympathetic smile I could muster. It wasn't fake because I didn't care; it simply hurt too much to make a real one. "I've done it before," I answered, thinking back to when he'd left me with the blonde back at the Inn. By his smile I knew he remembered too "So I can do it again." I tried to wipe some of the blood of his face and said, "Thank you. I know that we are complete strangers to each other...But it feels like we've been best friends for years..._

_"Don't worry Zack Fair." I felt nice saying his full name...It was like my only way to show how much this meant to me, "I'll take good care of him..."_

_"Thank you...Jecsie..." He turned his head back up to the sky. It had finally stopped raining, which was how I realized that I was crying after my tears fell on his forehead. Zack lifted his hand up, and I watched as he faded. His fingertips dissolving as the green light of the Lifestream danced across his figure._

_I cried and cried...and cried. And when he was completely gone...I screamed. My cry echoed, almost drowning out the sound of the helicopter coming to the cliff on which this entire scene occurred. I saw it though, and ran. I hid from its view, because I knew the people in it would take me back to that lab – and how would I be able to keep my promise to Zack? ...But something was wrong...The sound of the engine. It sounded different...Like a motorcycle..._

* * *

Jecsie woke with a start. The sound of an engine cut through her ears and she looked around. When she saw three bikes approaching, she jumped on her bike and rode off. But she knew they saw her anyway, whoever they were. She didn't hear them following though, and pulled over behind a giant boulder to see why.

They stopped at the spot she was just at, the middle rider kicking Zack's Buster Sword from its stop. Jescie growled to herself, but made no move to approach them. She vaguely noticed that all three of them had silvery hair like her own, but her' was a lighter – almost white – and she had her black lowlights.

She just watched them, waiting for them to make some sort of move, because she knew that they knew she was there. The three of them just sat there though, talking amongst one another until a movement caught their attention. While one stayed on the cliff top, the other two were going after something...or someone. To her horror, it was Cloud, oblivious to the danger he was in.

She kept her eyes on the ones chasing after him, watching for the signs of her premonition. Suddenly, shadows appeared from beneath them, and started after Cloud. From the shadows emerged four, large Shadow Creepers. Four wasn't much, at least not for Cloud, but Jescie still felt on edge.

Cloud opened Fenrir, and pulled out one of his broad swords. He sliced the first Creature as it jumped at him from a rock, swerving Fenrir to slice the one behind him. As he cut through another one, one of the bikers that were chasing him came up to Cloud's face. He was speaking to him, but with the distance between them, and the noise of the engines, Jecsie couldn't hear a thing. She was already craning her neck because it was getting too difficult to follow there movements with her eyes. The other man – she assumed they were both male – started firing gunshots at Cloud, as the first one continued trying to hit him off his bike.

As Cloud continued fighting them both off – all the while swerving around jagged rocks and dodging more Shadow Ceepers – a voice reached Jecsie's ears from the cliff. "...because I think you do have Mother there." She heard it say.

She turned back to where the other biker had stopped. She narrowed her eyes to get a better focus on his figure, and she could just make out the features of his face. It was another male, she could tell by the voice, and he had shoulder-length hair. And his outfit was completely made of black leather, with many straps and belt buckles.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore," He snapped into the phone he held, "Put the President on."

'Rufus Shinra?' Jescie thought, her thoughts wandering to the day she saved the young man. She had snuck into the ShinRa building just before it had been demolished by a Mako cannon. She'd known of the president's would-be demise hours before hand, and had made it a personal mission to save him, if only to save herself from the guilt of letting him die. She didn't particularly like him, but since catching his attention that day, she found a fun game in humiliating him for his failed attempts to catch her. Though the Turks had already been chasing her long before, the previous president never got as flustered when he learned of their failure, like his son.

Jescie's attention moved back to the chase going on between Cloud and the strange bikers once the one on the cliff looked back to them as well.

More of the Shadow Creepers kept coming at him, and the two men on the bikes continued firing at him. He swerved around the rocks covering the sandy landscape. One of them braked in front of him, activating some weapon attached to his arm. Cloud pulled Fenrir up, jumping over the man. He landed so that he was facing him, and he pulled out his sword again. He struck at the man, but was blocked by the Taser-like weapon on his arm. Jecsie felt a sudden jolt go through her left arm the same time that she saw Cloud grimace. He glanced down at his arm for half a second before blocking the man with his sword. But that resulted in getting his Broad Sword knocked a good mile away. When he looked back in front of him, the second man was coming straight at him. When he was right in front of Cloud, he hit the brakes, flipping over Cloud, bike and all. When he was half way over him, the stranger released a single bullet.

"Cloud!" Jecsie's scream was loud enough to catch even the strangers' attention, but she was relieved to see Cloud unharmed. _'That was too close for comfort.'_ She thought.

Then, she stared frozen in place as her vision from the night before came together; both men pulled back, releasing more and more of those Shadow Creepers at her friend. Cloud looked around at all of them, as unsure as Jescie how to escape. She glared at the men as they laughed, seeming to enjoy the sight of Cloud struggling. She looked back at her friend, unable to do a thing as the Creepers all jumped at him, circling him for their last attack.

Then every one of them suddenly disappeared in a single cloud of smoke. He looked just as confused as she was. The men swerved and turned back to where their companion was waiting. The blonde and Jescie followed them with their eyes. Cloud skidded to a stop, looking up at him. He turned, and his eyes widened at the sight of his dear friend so close to the danger. But Jecsie waved him off, mouthing that it was fine. He knew she'd be able to fend for herself, but he still hesitated before taking off.

Jecsie was about to take off, when, "Well, well," She cursed herself, not having heard the three of them approach. "What do we have here?" It was the voice of the man that had spoken of Rufus Shinra.

Her body tensed as she felt two cold, metal points press against her neck. Then right before blacking out, she felt the painful shock of electricity coursing through her body.


	3. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**__** This chapter has been EDITED**_

* * *

Chapter Two

_Memories of my life, between Zack's death and the first time I actually met Cloud, are only reachable in my dreams...Maybe it's because, in the back of my mind, I really don't want to remember...Or maybe this is ShinRa's doing. Either way, its memories like these that I can only see when I'm sleeping, because of how deep in my subconscious they are..._

_I walked around, taking in all the surroundings. I was back in the ShinRa mansion – it had been a few months since Zack had died and I was looking for answers to what was going on. Walking around the basement, I saw the broken glass from Zack's old tank. The memory shot a pang of guilt and sorrow through my chest. _'If only I had stayed with him at the Inn...'_ Thoughts like these had been haunting me since that day. I shook my head, reminding myself that it probably wouldn't have made a difference – we _both _could have died. _

_I walked over to one of the computer screens, knowing what to expect; I can recall having this particular dream before. I look for anything that could tell me about myself, what I was doing here, and – most importantly – what am I? But the only thing on these computers was what a man named Hojo had wanted with Cloud and Zack. I was getting sick and tired of this, reading about them like they're a bunch of Guinea Pigs in an experiment. Then again, that is what they were used for__._

_The last time I dreamt of this day, I woke up before even getting to move from this room. So this time, even though I was asleep, I felt excitement when something new happened. I straightened up and walked over to a door, one leading to the room I "awoke" in. I stepped through, and went straight for the small computer near my tank. There was still glass on the floor. As well as blood, from when I was walking bear-footed. I ignored it though, and started looking through the files on the computer._

_Most of the files were about my health, growth, development, etc. There was one file, however, that was locked with a password. I tried as many words as I could think of. "Jecsie..?" I'd murmur each one to myself as I typed._

_**Access Denied**_

_Not even my name worked! Then, something strange – yet sensible – came to mind. I tried one last time; _

"_JENOVA..?"_

_**Access Approved**_

_I smirked as the green letters flashed before the screen changed. I looked through everything there; what it told about my unique 'abilities' – seeing the future, seeing into peoples' minds. At first I thought it meant just reading minds, but no. It meant that I could read peoples' emotions – the things they felt as they thought each thought – I could see their 'auras'; stuff like that. I learned that my name was an acronym that stood for..._

"Wake up!"

_My body jerked. No! Someone was trying to wake me up; I knew because everything was going black. I tried hard to keep myself asleep. But, obviously, it wouldn't work..._

* * *

Kadaj was getting mad. "Wake up!" He yelled, kicking the girl in the side again.

"Why don't you try something a bit gentler, Kadaj?" Yazoo suggested.

His younger brother glared at him, but he simply ignored it. Instead, Yazoo knelt down beside the girl and shook her shoulder. "Wake up," He mumbled.

"Didn't I just try that?" Kadaj asked, irritated.

"Mm...What..?" She mumble.

When she opened her eyes, the three of them noticed her eyes were still glazed over as she came to. She looked around, unable to focus and only seeing dark figures blurring together. She blinked just a few more times before her eyes widened. "Wh-who are you?" Jescie was, regrettably, frightened of the three men before. The last thing she remembered was watching Cloud take off after their showdown. "You three!" She yelled, her mind finally registering who they were.

"Us three..?" She turned her gaze to the one who'd spoke; this was the one who had shot Cloud – she saw the gun in his hand. He had the same green cat-eyes and silver hair as the other two, but his hair was nearly as long as hers.

"What about us three?"

She turned back to the other two. They were all starring at her with Mako-green eyes, unnerving her even further. She already recognized the one with the shoulder-length hair as the one who'd spoken on the phone about Shinra. She looked at the man standing next to him. He looked a lot like the other two – _big_ surprise – the only difference was that his hair was shorter, and spikier in the back.

Turning back to the other two, Jecsie could see that they were looking at her expectantly. "Well? Are you going to answer or not?" said the one with shoulder-length hair.

'That's right!' She thought. They were waiting for her answer.

"You three hurt my friend!" She said.

He bent down to her level, hid nose nearly touching hers. "How do you know Big Brother?"

Jecsie raised an eyebrow. _'Big Brother..?'_

"Kadaj, I think you're scaring her..." She felt a hand on her shoulder and bolted to her feet, trying to get away.

Unfortunately, she'd only run two feet before a bullet grazed her shoulder. It'd hurt but it also pissed her off. She used her momentum to turn on one heel and faced them. She drew her pistol from its holster and aimed at the one with the longer hair. He also had his gun drawn, and Jecsie couldn't help but feel intimidated. Sure, she had a great aim and was highly skilled with it, but compared to the gun in his hand, she thought of her own as a toy. "Have fun Yazoo," Kadaj – she'd heard the other one say his name – said in a teasing voice, "Just try not to kill her." He sneered at her.

She glared back, before shifting it to the one in front of her – Yazoo. He kept a straight face, but Jecsie could feel the smugness radiating from him. This guy seemed to see himself superior to her. _'I'm going to have to change that_,' she thought.

Jecsie bent her knees and jumped backwards, landing nearby a tree. It was only then that she realized where she was; the City of the Ancients. She only took one quick glance though before turning her attention back to Yazoo. He shot a single bullet, aiming for her head. She smirked though, and shot twice. The first bullet collided with his, and the other grazed his shoulder. He didn't see anything, but he definitely felt the burning feeling going through his arm. He looked at the wound, tilting his head as he tried to figure out what had happened. He hadn't even seen her bullets! His nonchalant expression turned into one of range. He looked back up at her and fired three more shots. She dodged by jumping behind another tree and fired back as she skidded to a crouch. He suddenly appeared behind her though, and delivered a swift punch to her stomach.

She bent over as the air left her lungs, and he brought his opposite leg up for a roundhouse kick that sent her into another tree. Her back slammed against is, as did her head, sending her into a momentary daze. Not giving her a chance to recover, Yazoo bolted toward her, aiming another punch at her head. She managed to catch his fist in her hand, though it sent a shock of pain through her arm – this guy was tough! He grabbed her right wrist as she tried to lift it and twisted it, causing her to lose her grip on her gun. She cried out in pain before glaring at him, and he just smirked back. She growled before slamming her head against his. The both groaned in pain and confusion, but she was still able to slam her open palm into his chest, sending him just a few meters back.

They stared each other down for a moment, and then she pulled out her sai from their straps. But instead of charging at him like he expected, she stabbed them into the ground, and stood up in a fighting stance, with her legs apart and her fists held in front of her. "How about we make things a bit more fun?" She suggested sarcastically.

Yazoo smirked again. "Agreed," He said, putting his Velvet Nightmare down and kicking it away, before getting in a fighting stance as well.

Jecsie nodded to him then dashed towards him as he did the same. She aimed a kick at his jaw, but he caught her leg. She used this by pulling him down and kneeing him in the gut with her other leg. He grunted, letting go of her completely, and she flipped over his back. He whirled around and caught her fist before it connected with him again. He growled and struck a blow at her chest, knocking the breath out of her. She gasped for air, taking a step back and he kicked her side, sending her sprawling on the ground. She gridded her teeth and rolled to her feet. She used the flow of this movement to land a kick on his chest, knocking him against a tree. She went to punch him in the face, but he caught her fist.

"That's enough," She heard Kadaj say, but she kept struggling to free herself from Yazoo's grip. "Loz?" Kadaj spoke again, this time sending the order to his oldest brother.

Jecsie felt the familiar metal tips against her neck and squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the shock that followed...

* * *

Jecsie awoke with a gasp; she'd just had yet another dream about Zack. "Get over it, Jess," She whispered to herself as she sat up, gripping her head with her hands, "You'll just end up driving yourself crazy..."

"Do you always talk to yourself?" Jecsie jumped when she heard him.

He was behind her, leaning against the side of the tree she was propped against. He looked at her, his long, silvery bangs partially covering his face. She glared at him, before noticing her two sai lying beside him, and her gun in his hands. She gasped, jumping to reach her weapon. He just smiled as she stumbled, and in a flash had her pined up against the tree. He held her there for a moment, tilting his head as he examined her face with her own weapon against her temple. Finally he released her, taking a step back as she fell to the ground in front of him. She growled, glaring up at him.

"Please try to behave," He asked, and for a moment she thought he was mocking her. But his face softened at his words, and hers followed. She could see, not with her powers, but with her eyes, just how tried he seemed. "Kadaj left me here to watch you while he and Loz are gone." He paused momentarily. "I'm surprised that I'm still feeling the effects of our spar."

Jecsie blinked, not having noticed that the other two weren't anywhere close by. She glared at him once more when she realized he'd brushed her challenge off as mere play, before sitting up with her legs crossed – resigned to just pouting about it. He sat the same way in front of her, once again looking at her gun intently. She watched as he turned it in his hands, examining it like one would an artwork they were judging. "What's it called?" He suddenly asked.

She looked up at him, her face as blank as his. "Hira," She finally answered, keeping her response curt.

Yazoo glanced up at her, a confused look crossing his features. "'Black Death'? Why do you call it that?"

She looked back down at Hira; it's sleek black metal shining in the little sunlight that passed through the trees. "Well," She began, "For one thing; it's made out of black metal. And, the bullets it uses are tiped with a small casing of poison, designed for an instant kill. The whole makeup was..." She tried to find a word that could describe it the best, "'custom made'. Specifically to kill in an instant yet...you're still..."

"Alive?" He finished for her, glancing momentarily at his arm where she'd managed to graze him. She was shocked to see the lack of wound on his ivory skin. He shrugged it off, however, like it was nothing. He knew he was special, as were his brothers, so it wasn't that big a deal that he was unaffected by her weapon. "But you're right," He held his left hand out to her, and she saw he held one of her bullets, "Average looking bullets, except for the very tip where you could see the liquid poison inside…fascinating."

He went back to examining the gun, and Jecsie found herself looking around again. Without the other two around, she didn't feel intimidated by this strange man. Again, she noticed her sai just a few feet to her right from where she sat. She reached out her right hand toward them, but Yazoo stopped her, gripping her wrist rather tightly. "You can't have them back yet," He told her, frowning.

She glared back at him again. "Why not?" She tried yanking her hand back, but he held it firmly.

"Because; we don't trust you," He said it so simply, and she was ashamed to admit that it hurt.

Jecsie just glared back down at her hand, which was still in his. He tilted his head as he examined her wrist, and she realized what he was really looking at. Her bracelet! Again she tried to pull back, but again he wouldn't let her. "Is this your name? Jecsie?" He asked.

"Yes..." she hesitated. "It's what others call me..." She mumbled.

He stared at her tilting his head to the side, looking right into her eyes. She cleared her throat, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "Yazoo, you're hurting me!" She whined, forcefully pulling her wrist free.

Yazoo's eyes widened and he stood, taking a step back. Her voice...The way his name sounded from her lips was like… "Mother..?" He asked quietly, scaring her even more.

* * *

_**A/N: **_

_**EDIT: Okay, so I'm still no good at fight scenes, but I do hope I'm getting better. Let me know please!**_


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:**** This chapter has been EDITED**

* * *

Chapter Three

Mother had never spoken directly to him. No; she'd only ever speak directly to Kadaj. But whenever she did, he and Loz could hear whispers of what she told their youngest brother, especially whenever she said _their_ names.

And now; this girl right here in front of him had spoken his name. He knew there was something familiar about the underlying pitch to her voice, and it wasn't until he heard his name on her lips that he realized why. She had said his name in the same, sweet way as _her_. Even if she had only said it because he had hurt her, it sounded nearly the same!

Jecsie was really freaked out now. _'Mother?'_ She thought. This man was practically crazy!

"M-Mother..?" He said, confusion clearly coloring his velvety voice, "It's you, isn't it?"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!" She yelled at him, taking a step back, "I am _nobody's_ mother. Are you listening?"

A sense of confusion went through her, but not from her – from _them_. She looked around, searching for the second and third presence. She saw them, just a few meters away, the younger one taking in the scene and their words with a looked of anger. "Just _what _are you talking about, Yazoo?" Kadaj said, stalking over to them.

Yazoo focused on his younger brother, a desperate look in his eye. He just wanted to feel important too! It wasn't fair that his little brother got all the attention. "It's her, Kadaj," He said, still very confused, "It's Mother."

Kadaj looked at him like he was crazy – to which Jecsie agreed. "What?" He said, just as incredulous as she was.

Yazoo snatched her wrist again, as she tried making another break for it. She just wanted to get away from them! "Just _look_ at her!" He said, "It has to be her!"

The younger remnant glanced from his brother to her. He grabbed a fist-full of her hair from the back of her head, pulling her closer. Jecsie grimaced, but didn't struggle like she usually would. She knew they were dangerous, and wouldn't risk another fight with them. She opened her eyes a bit and saw – much to her discomfort – that his face was close enough to hers to kiss her. She held as still as she could for the time he held her there, not daring to provoke him. Finally, he let go, shoving her away, only for Yazoo to catch her. "It's not her," He said flatly.

_'Well __duh__!'_ She thought, letting out a breath she'd been holding.

Now, the only confusion she felt was coming from Yazoo – all Kadaj felt was anger now. "What do you mean?" Yazoo asked, "It _was_ her!"

"No!" Kadaj said again, "It's only part of her. Probably another one of Shinra's guinea pigs, but that's _it_!"

_'A guinea pig!'_ Jecsie's eyes widened and then narrowed. "What!" Both brothers jumped, seemingly forgetting that she could still speak, "You mean to tell me that I'm some sort of _science toy_ for the ShinRa Company?" She was disgusted at the very thought of it.

But the way Kadaj glared at her now caused her to only feel fear. She wanted to recoil from his gaze when she felt a pair of hands rest on her shoulders, and comfort was brought from the gesture. She looked over her shoulder to see the long-haired remnant giving her a soothing glance, the desperate and helpless look gone from his eyes. "How about I just get her out of here?" Yazoo suggested.

Kadaj just answered with a 'humph' sound and walked away. Yazoo led her farther away from him, taking her by the wrist. Jecsie let herself be dragged, still stunned by Kadaj's cool looks and Yazoo's accusations. Why had he called her his mother? Was he talking about Jenova? But most importantly – and this always bugged her – what _was_ she? So many questions, and not enough answers – if not any at all. She was so deep in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice Yazoo had stopped walking, and ran right into him. "Oof!" She would've fallen over, if he hadn't already been hanging on to her, "Sorry, Yazoo..." She muttered, but he could still hear her.

Yazoo pulled her to face him, and studied her face. He was as close to her as Kadaj had been, but she wasn't as uncomfortable. It still bothered her that he was in her personal space _'...but I suppose he's not as bad as his brother...'_ She thought.

He pushed her away with such sudden force, that Jecsie fell back against the tree that was behind her. She just let herself slide down, not even bothering to complain, or make a sound. She was too tired – searching for Cloud, getting zapped and knocked out, waking up to a group of wackos, fighting Yazoo, getting her ass zapped _again_, and then being at the receiving end of that _freak's_ glare – she'd had a _long _day.

He knelt down to her level, staring her right in the eye. She met his gaze with an empty one. "You are _not_ Mother," He hissed, mostly trying to convince himself, but also as if commanding it to her. "And yet...Yet when you say it – when you speak my name – I can hear her voice..."

Jecsie had absolutely no freaking idea as to what he was talking about. _'Again with mother?'_ She thought. This was getting real old, real fast.

He grabbed the back of her head the same way Kadaj had, and she winced, expecting a pain that never came. She was surprised it didn't hurt; Yazoo was a lot gentler than his brothers, she noticed. _'When he wants to be,'_ she thought, thinking back to their little scuffle from earlier.

With his free hand, he started to stroke her right cheek. She didn't know why, but for whatever reasons the knot that had been in her stomach faded, and she felt…warm. She blushed. _'Stupid. Stupid. __Stupid__!'_ She cursed herself. _'Bad Jescie! Bad!'_

She pulled away easily – thanks to his gentle grip – and shoved him away, then stood up. She pushed herself against the tree, finding no way to get around him. She tried glaring at him, but she was pretty sure that she looked more nervous than intimidating. He just stared at her, tilting his head. "What do you want with me?" She yelled, the knot returning once more.

"You seem tired," Yazoo said, ignoring her question and throwing her thought pattern off, "Maybe you should get some more rest."

Jecsie was surprised by the sincerity that came with his words. But she shook her head violently, not falling for any tricks. "Why would you care?" She muttered darkly.

"You are _not_ Mother," She heard Kadaj's voice call as he approached them, apparently still unable to shake of the mistake his brother had made.

Yazoo stepped protectively in front of her, but his brother didn't seem to notice – unlike Jecsie. He was only confusing her even _more_, because she didn't know what to make of his kindness.

"But..." Kadaj continued, ignoring Yazoo, and stepping as close to her as he could with the human barrier between them, "She may still be able to help us _find_ Mother!" He had turned to Yazoo when he said the last part, a crazed look in his eye that made the young woman shudder.

Empathetic or not; anyone would've been able to see and hear the hysteric way Kadaj had just spoke right then. If it weren't for the tree standing in her way, she'd have coward farther away from this madman. She felt herself begin to hyperventilate, which was unlike her, and only left her more panicked. Suddenly, she felt more concerned with what _he_ was, instead of herself. _'_These_ guys are the __monsters__!'_ She thought.

Yazoo noticed Jecsie's discomfort, and quickly grabbed her wrist..._again_. "Do you _enjoy_ trying to dislocate my arm?" She retorted.

He ignored her. "Kadaj," He said to his brother, "If she will really be joining us in our search, I think it would be best for her to get some rest. I'll take her up to the tower to get some sleep." He pulled her towards him, removing his hand from her wrist and replacing it gently behind her neck.

Kadaj snorted, "Do what you want with her." He growled, turning away. "I don't care as long as you can get her to help." Yazoo said nothing as he led her away.

Yazoo held on tightly to Jecsie, pulling her up the staircase. She'd only struggled a few times, almost afraid of being alone with him after what had happened when she'd fallen against the tree. _'What would he have done...Was he really going to kiss me?'_ She shook her head, erasing those thoughts from her mind.

Once again, do to her lack of attention she ended up running into him again. She muttered another apology, and noticed that they were standing in front of a door. He didn't respond as he opened the door to reveal a room – his room – then pushed her in before him. The room was small – just a bed, and an empty dresser across from a large window, that was open to the lake.

She didn't look back at him as he walked around her, their breathing making the only sound as his footsteps were silent. He went to touch her shoulder, but she jerked away when she felt the contact, and crossed to the other side of the room across from him. "Is something wrong?" He asked innocently, tilting his head.

"The hell it is!" She yelled at him, wide-eyed, "Just _what_ is it that you want from me?"

"All we want is to find Mother," He answered honestly, "And Kadaj thinks that you'll be able to help. So please," He gestured to the bed, "Get some rest. You will need all your strength."

Jecsie looked at the bed, then back to him. "No!" She shook her head, her answer final, and stomped her foot to punctuate its finalty.

Yazoo sighed at the childish gesture – he was starting to get tired of this. "Please, stop trying to resist and just-"

"I don't trust you!" She finally admitted.

He tilted his head again, thinking over what she'd said. "Why not?" He asked with a hint of hurt in his tone. He looked at her with an open expression, "I wouldn't hurt you." She glared at him while turning away, glancing down at the floor. Was he playing stupid, or did he just not understand that kidnapping and assault tended to cause mistrust. "But I am sorry about what I did...before," He said, "And again if I left the wrong impression."

"...What..?" she looked up and stared at him. "What the _fuck_ are you playing a-" She began.

He was suddenly across the room, right in front of her. Thinking that he meant to attack, she lifted her hand, ready to strike him. But he caught her hand before she'd even had a chance to lift it, and then grabbed her other one when she launched that one on him. He shoved her back and watched her fall on the bed. She grunted when she landed, but didn't hesitate to attempt rising again. He held her down easily though, and straddled her. She panicked momentarily and threw her fists at him again, and again he caught them inches from his face.

He pressed her arms above her and lowered his head. His face was calm though he felt impatient as he waited for her to calm. She stopped struggling, her breath coming out harder now but still she tried to pull her head away when he moved his face closer to hers. He laid his lower body down on her own to keep her still, and gently placed his lips on hers.

She completely froze, but found that there was no displeasure from the intimate contact. Actually, her first thoughts were that his lips were soft on hers, and warmer than she expected; what with his skin so pale, she'd thought they'd be colder. She actually liked the feeling of his lips moving against hers. She felt a dreamy sensation take over and before she could register her own actions, started kissing him back.

But she was snapped out of that dreamy state when Yazoo pulled away. He sighed and kissed her forehead, and Jecsie stood absolutely still. She resisted the urge to push him away and run when he let go of her right hand. He stroked her cheek as he lead butterfly kisses down her neck, and when he gave her flesh an experimental nip, she couldn't do anything to conceal the shameless moan that escaped her throat. She heard him chuckle and he pecked her lips again before standing.

She sat up – her face lightly powdered a cherry red and her breathing uneven and deep – and looked up at him. He was just smiling at her – not a smug smile, or a smirk. Bliss was radiating of off him, she could see that and feel it mixing with her own. "See?" He said, offering a hand, "I wouldn't do anything to hurt you...Jecsie." He made her name sound like honey coming off his tongue, and if she wasn't in such a la-la state of mind she would have berated herself for thinking such things.

She took his hand and he pulled her up. "...Yazoo..?" She was still too out of breath.

He shook his head, stopping her. Stroking her cheek again, he said, "Just get some rest." He said before leaving the room.

* * *

_My eyes snapped open..._

_I knew that this was neither a normal dream nor even a recollection from my past. It was one from my future._

_I saw two men – a large man with a bald head and dark skin, and a shorter lankier redhead – walking into a bar. The sign above the building read _'7th Heaven'_. This was Tifa's bar. I walked up to the men; I could overhear them talking about something. "Do you want to be the one to tell Strife that we couldn't find them, yo?" The redhead was saying._

_Reno? I recognized him from the Turks. He and his buddy Rude were usually the ones tailing after me, and and always failing. But...what were they doing here? I mean – what _will_ they be doing?_

"_No. _Way_." __Rude, the bald one replied, "I just hope we'll be able to find the kids soon."_

_The kids? What kids? Had something happened to Marlene? Or Denzel?_

_But before I could find anything else out, the premonition ended._


	5. Chapter 4

_**A/N: EDITED**_

* * *

Chapter Four

When she woke up, she felt warm which was strange. She remembered how cold it'd been when she'd fallen asleep in the bare room. She kept her eyes closed reaching a hand behind her to feel for whatever was keeping her warm. It only took her seconds when she registered the light breathing behind her hair, and the hair her fingers had found themselves tangled in.

Somebody was lying down with her, and whoever it was – though she was sure she knew who – had shifted, an arm tightening around her waist. There was a knock at the door, and she forced herself not to tense when the warmth he gave off left with him – she _hated_ the cold. His footsteps made no sound as he walked across the room, but she could pick up his weight shifting the floorboards. The door opened and she listened as he and a familiar voice spoke. "Is she up yet?" Kadaj asked, impatience filling both his voice and her mind.

"No, I just got up myself." His voice was quiet, compared to his younger brother's.

"Then _wake her up_!" Kadaj yelled, and she stifled a gasp when his voices sudden volume startled her.

Jecsie wasn't sure which of them slammed the door, but she imagined the force must've shaken the frame. She could feel the bed dip behind her as Yazoo climbed back on. He wrapped himself around her to warm her body like before – his right arm draped around her waist while his left rested lightly on her hair and stroking it. His right leg tangled in between hers and he pulled her flush against him.

She hadn't realized it before but she had been shivering lightly without him; it was surprising how cold this place was. After a few minutes in his arms, her body relaxed as it warmed and he nudged her. "Wake up," He murmured in her ear.

Yazoo's breath hitting her ear made her shiver again, and she sighed. "What's so funny?" She muttered, turning on her back to look up at him, propped on his arms.

"I didn't say anything." Despite his calm expression, she knew the glint in his eye meant he was amused, "Why would you say that?"

"I know that I'm amusing you," She said, muttering again.

He tilted his head, something she recognized as a kind of habit of his. "How could you know that?" He asked, genuinely curious and partially confused.

Looking into his eyes, she couldn't help but _want_ to tell the truth. _What_! Why on earth would she tell this guy something even Cloud didn't know? She'd never told _anyone_ about what she could do. Nobody. She was afraid that if anybody knew, they'd shun her for it. She didn't want to be turned away being different – for being a _freak_. But then again, this guy and his brothers weren't exactly 'normal' themselves. She took a deep, slow breath. "I'm just..._special_..." Then again, she wasn't even too sure of how to say it.

"Special?" He echoed. Queue head tilting.

Jecsie swallowed, looking away. "Yeah..." Now more than ever, with him looking her strait in the eye, she wanted to tell him, "I'm empathetic...sort of..." He stared at her, waiting, "I don't know what I am. But I _know_ I'm not human. I've always been...different. I can tell what someone is feeling – see the emotions that form from within each thought. You can try and cover your feelings with fraud ones, but I could still tell what you're really feeling."

"So you read people's emotions?"

She nodded. "That, and...I have premonitions."

"You mean you see the future?" He asked, tilting his head to the other side now, "How?"

"Sometimes they come in dreams, others when I'm awake. I really can't control it, or the emotion readings. They're like your heart pumping – they work on their own. They never stop, and I don't know how to make them."

"Unless your brain dead," Yazoo pointed out.

"Yeah...There's that..." She trailed off when he started stroking her cheek.

They stared at each other, the emotions passing between them making her dizzy. Staring into his eyes, she knew what was happening – the things she was feeling – and yet she didn't feel ashamed. It didn't matter that he'd kicked her ass the other day. Or that he and his brothers were trying to kill Cloud the other day. She knew this was all wrong, but she _didn't _care. "What am I feeling now?" He asked, the silence between them broken, as he lifted one hand to stroke her cheek.

She didn't answer for a moment, basking in the mix of emotions the room was radiating: bliss, pleasure, happiness, and... "...The same things that...I feel..." She said hesitantly, keeping the answer vague.

She wasn't sure if he'd _want_ to feel the same way. But then again, he'd been the one who'd kissed her first – if he didn't like her, then why would he have done it? So, she sucked up all her courage, propped herself on one elbow, and tangled the other hand in his silvery locks, pulling him down. He was surprised at first but her forwardness, but didn't pull away. In fact he relaxed in her touch and bit back a moan when their mouths connected again.

His lips, like the first time, were soft and warm against hers. She opened her mouth for him and he slid his tongue in, instincts coming onto them. He laid down on top of her, also being careful not to put all his weight on her. He moved his right hand to her arm from her cheek, his thumb stroking her shoulder, before he decided to bring it to her neck. Their lips moved against each other, their tongues touching every so often as the massaged each other's mouths.

A moment later though, there was a knock at the door and they quickly untangled themselves from each other. Jecsie sat up on the edge on the bed, trying to catch her breath, while Yazoo calmly answered the door. Kadaj was standing in the door way, a scowl on his face. When he saw her awake, he pushed right through Yazoo and walked over to her. She glared at him as he stood at the end of the bed. "It's about time you wake up!" He yelled, yanking her up by her right arm, "You and Yazoo need to hurry up and get to Big Brother's city." He continued, ignoring her yelp of pain – his grip was nowhere near as gentle as his brother's. "Yazoo will explain what you need to do there. Now get going!"

He flung her to the doorway, only for Yazoo to catch her. He waited for Kadaj to exit the room before turning to her in his arms and hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry..." He mumbled into her ear, before taking her hand and leading her out the door.

Jecsie rode with Yazoo on his bike through the Midgar plains, towards Edge. She held on to him as he drove, trying not to fall off whenever he'd turn the bike. He was speeding faster than she'd ever even tried – and she usually rode past a hundred. After just a short time they were outside of Edge. "What does Kadaj want us to do here?" She asked. She noticed he didn't bother slowing down as they moved through the streets.

He didn't say anything until they were well into the city's center, hiding behind an ally. "We need to gather all the children with the 'stigma," He said, walking to a rather large truck that was parked just a few meters away.

"Why?" She wanted to trust him, but after last night's premonition, things were getting suspicious.

"Kadaj says that they will help us to find Mother," He said, "He says that she might be able to cure them in return for their help. I'll need you to talk to them; they will probably trust you more than they would me."

She wanted to help him for some reason. She just couldn't help it – even though she knew that there was no cure and that taking the children was wrong. But the way he looked at her with those eyes, despite their alien glow, was too hard for her to resist. They were just like hers, but so much more beautiful on his face, and the pleading she saw in them reminded her of a lost child. "Okay," She said, dismounting the bike. It seemed she would do anything for those pretty eyes. "I'll see what I can do."

He smiled at her and kissed her forehead, before getting into the truck, and driving out of the ally. She waited a few moments before walking out as well. She looked around the streets, glancing at all of the poor children. She noticed one with a bandage on his eyes, and went over to him. The little boy stared up at her a she knelt down to his level. She placed a caring hand over his bad eye, and then moved her hand under his chin. She wondered how much pain this little boy was going through, knowing the pain that Cloud had been suffering. She was the only one he'd told about his Geostigma, because she was known for keeping her promises, and she promised not to tell anyone.

Jecsie looked back down at the boy, who had stopped staring at her and was now looking wide-eyed at something behind her. She glanced back at whatever had caught his attention. Turns out it was Yazoo, standing next to the truck in the street. It seemed he was making a phone call – from what she could hear, he was talking to Loz. She looked away and back at the boy. "It hurts doesn't it?" She said, catching his attention once more, "The 'stigma. My friend has it too."

"I-it hurts...really bad..." He whimpered, his voice raspy and weak.

She felt bad about it, but she knew the next words out of her mouth were lies. "My friends and I can help you,"

A speck of hope flashed through the boy's eyes. A smile appeared on his face, making her feel even worse. "R-really? You can cure us?"

Jecsie swallowed hard before saying, "Yes, just come with us..." She paused to gesture towards the truck and Yazoo, "...and we'll do what we can to help heal you. But you have to trust us...Okay?" She added when he glanced uneasily at Yazoo. She didn't blame the boy's uneasiness. It didn't get pass her that of the three brothers, the middle one resembled a certain deceased general the most.

He looked back up at her kind face and nodded. He stood up and looked back at the kids in the ally, running to the closest one there. He whispered something in the other kid's ear and then pointed towards her. They whispered back and forth for a minute before going to each and every one of the other children. Then, one by one, each child infected with the 'stigma hesitantly walked towards Jecsie, who beckoned them with a kind smile to the truck. Yazoo smirked to himself before going back around to the driver's side.

As more of the infected children came around the ally wall, Jecsie noticed one boy in particular being dragged around by a girl gripping on to a Moogle doll. "Denzel?" She called to him, surprise evident in her voice. Wasn't Tifa keeping him on bed rest.

Denzel glanced up at her, and his expression turned from one of confusion to one of shock. "Jecsie..?" He mumbled disbelievingly.

The last time he'd seen her was just before Cloud had left, and she hadn't even stayed in contact with them. And now, here she was. He wanted to talk to her. To ask her what she was doing here. But he couldn't, because the girl that was holding on to his wrist kept pulling him towards the truck. They stared at each other though, one with a look of confusion, and the other with one of fear.

She just watched as they got into the truck, his eyes never leaving hers. She couldn't take it and broke their eye contact by looking at the ground. She sighed, walking past where he was sitting in the truck bed and over to Yazoo, who was standing against the hood. "Is something wrong?" He asked, noticing the sadness in her eyes.

"It's nothing." She said, rather harshly.

Her tone really seemed to hurt him, and she regretted it. Before she could apologize though, he walked around to the passenger side of the truck. He pulled something out of the glove compartment and walked back over to her. "Here," He handed her something wrapped in a cloth and she took it.

She unwrapped it and held out her sai, Lilith and Lucifer. She didn't question what they were doing inside the truck, or when they'd even gotten there. Instead she just examined them, keeping her focus away from the children still filling the truck bed. They were plain, without any fancy designs, except for the names engraved on the handles and white beads tide to said handles by thin thread. Other than that, they were just plain black. But they were still very special to her, seeing as they were gifts from Cloud. At that moment, a difficult decision had been made, and she knew she would come to regret it. "Thank you, Yazoo…" She mumbled, turning her head down. No pretty eyes or soft lips were worth betraying one of her best friends, and leading another into danger. "But...I am...so very sorry,"

He tilted her head, not comprehending what she meant. When she looked up at him though, she was staring at her with a glare. In a flash she had adjusted her grip on Lucifer and hit him in the stomach with the butt of the handle, earning a pain-filled grunt and a disbelieving expression. She jumped back a few feet and he just stared at her, shock clear on his face. The children were paralyzed with fear, but Denzel shook himself out of it, pushing through the group of kids to see Jecsie. She glanced in his direction and he shrunk back, startled by the look in of anger her eyes. She turned back to Yazoo, who had a hand right over Velvet Nightmare, ready to fend her off. "Jecsie..?" He said at the same time Denzel whispered.

"I'm not letting you take these children!" She hissed at him, not wanting the little ones to hear her and panic.

Yazoo tilted his head, somewhat thrown off by her sudden change in attitude. "But...You said you'd help me..?" The way he spoke made it sound like a question, and the desperation in his voice nearly broke her heart and shook her resolve.

"..." She was silent, trying to figure out what to say, "...That was before..." she trailed off, glancing in Denzel's direction and then turning back.

She shifted into a fighting stance, her legs apart with her sai in position. She couldn't help but wince at the waves of pain given off of him – and now it was mixing with her own as well. He sighed and drew his gun aiming at her. She heard the children gasp and Denzel whispered her name again. She turned to them, shifting her gaze from each child until her eyes locked with Denzel's. "Be brave..." She mumbled, more to herself than the children. "It's alright!" She assured them, raising her voice to them.

She looked back at Yazoo and dashed towards him. She brought her left hand down for a hit on his shoulder, but he blocked it with his Velvet Nightmare. She locked eyes with him before bringing her other sai up in an upwards arc. He caught her wrist, but before he could do anything she slammed her forehead against his. Stars exploded across her vision, making her dizzy. She stumbled back for a few seconds before clearing her head with a shake.

Unfortunately though, she didn't recover fast enough to react to the three bullets Yazoo shot through her left arm and shoulder. He bolted towards her as she stumbled again, and caught her by the back of her head with a fist-full of hair. She could tell he was trying to be gentle, but she still winced. _'Okay...Maybe the head butt was a bad idea...'_ She thought.

She reluctantly dropped one of her sais in order to grab his wrist with her good arm. But she paused when the cold metal of his Velvet Nightmare touched the side of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for him to take the bait. When he was sure she had finally given up, he lowered the gun slowly. She glared at him before punching him in the gut, and when he bent over in pain, she kneed him right in the jaw. His head snapped up and she punched the side in his cheek.

Just as she brought her remaining sai down in an arc, he caught her by the elbow and punched her gut. She made a pained sound but he ignored it, pinning her against the wall of a building by her throat. She looked up at him, but instead of a glare, she had a look of pain in her eyes. "Please..." She whispered.

He glanced back at the children in the truck, then to her. "I'm sorry, Jecsie," He said softly, then raised his voice for the kids to hear, "But I cannot let you stop me from hurting these children!" Then he lowered his voice back down, "Make sure you get away from here...I'm so sorry..." He said with a pained voice.

He kissed her fore head and she closed her eyes. She wanted to help Denzel, but she didn't want to hurt Yazoo. I was too hard for her, for two reasons: First, Yazoo could easily kick her ass. She wasn't that experienced as a fighter. Cloud and Tifa had just taught her the basics – enough to defend herself, not to go up against some super-human like him. And second, she knew that, despite the fact they'd just met, they had a strong connection. She just couldn't bring herself to hurting him. Her eyes were still closed, so she couldn't tell what was happening. But she could definitely feel something making contact with her head before losing consciousness. Before completely losing it, she could hear Denzel cry her name again.


	6. Chapter 5

_**This is the last of the EDITED!Chapters. Enjoy!**_

* * *

Chapter Five

Jecsie awoke with a throbbing headache. For a moment she wondered where she was, and why her head hurt so much. Thinking back, she remembered what had happened – tricking the children, finding Denzel, and then fighting Yazoo...

She bolted upright, the sudden movement making her head spin, but she didn't care. She stood up, pausing as her legs wobbled and then ran back to where she remembered Yazoo had parked his motorcycle. To her relief it was still right where they'd left it. She ran to it, but paused after mounting. Just where was she going to go? Go back to the Capital to get the kids? No, she wouldn't do that, it was too risky. If she did, she'd have to fight them, and she didn't want to hurt him, or – more likely – get her ass kicked.

An idea suddenly came to her mind; she knew just what to do, and she wouldn't like it. She started the engine and rode off in search of a certain redhead and his partner.

* * *

Reno and Rude walked up to the Seventh Heaven after searching nearly the whole city. "Do you want to be the one to tell Strife that we couldn't find them, yo?" The red-head said.

"No. Way." Rude replied, "I just hope we'll be able to find the kids soon."

"You say you're looking for some kids?"

Both Turks whirled around, surprised to see someone walk up behind them. Neither one of them could see their face though; they had on a jacket with its hood their their face. From what both men could tell though – with such a curvy waist and long legs – it was a girl. Reno couldn't help but smirk as he looked her slim body up and down. "Yeah, we are," He said in a sly tone, "Why do you-"

"Do you know anything about it?" Rude interjected, before Reno could do, or say, anything stupid.

The girl smiled, that much they could see. "I saw some guy taking them," She said, "He and a girl. Something happened though, and they got in a little scuffle. After that he headed towards the Forgotten Capital"

"Really? Who?" Rude asked.

"I dunno. Some dude with silver hair. He kinda reminded me of-"

"Yes, but what about the girl?" Reno interrupted. The Turks and Shinra already knew about the remnants' likeliness to the General-gone-mad. "What did she look like?"

"The same, really," She said simply.

"'The same'? What the hack does that mean?" Reno asked, clearly confused and frustrated in trying to keep up.

"She wore black clothes and had silver hair."

The two men thought for a moment. Was it possible that Jecsie had been spotted again? ShinRa had been looking for her months before Meteorfall, and was getting frustrated with the two's constant failure to capture her. They didn't notice the girl's smirk when they exchanged glances. "He knocked her out though," She said, catching their attention.

"Excuse me?" Rude asked.

"The guy," She clarified, "He knocked her out cold. Then heft her on the ground. If you need any info on those children, you should probably go find her."

"Where was she?" Reno asked.

"In an ally," She turned and pointed in the direction that she had come from, "Somewhere in that direction." She turned back to them with a sickly sweet smile, "Well, that's all in know. Good luck." She called turning and walking away.

Reno and Rude looked from each other, to the girl, to the bar, and then back to each other. It was still noon, and Cloud and Tifa probably wouldn't expect them until later. Besides, Rufus would kill them if he found out they let this opportunity pass by. They shrugged at each other and ran in the direction the girl had pointed out.

And just a few yards away, she was smirking, relived that her plan had worked. As she walked away, she removed her hood, revealing a head of silver and black hair. After taking one last glance around, she dashed back towards the motorcycle.

* * *

Jecsie was proud of herself, but now she had to hurry. Distracting the Turks would only work for so long. She knew that once they figured out that they'd been tricked, they'd come after her. Or, even if they didn't figure it out, she still had to worry about them probably sending Cloud for the children. But then again, that's why she had come up with this plan; to save the children and not have to hurt anybody directly.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she realized the glowing white trees racing past her. She'd made it. She took a deep breath. "Here we go," She told herself.

She drove until the large shell-like structure of the remnants' base came into view. She stopped the bike and got off, looking around nervously. She knew that if Yazoo had told his brothers her trying to sabotage their plan, they weren't going to be happy.

Her thoughts were confirmed when a force suddenly connect with her stomach. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the familiar shock of Loz's Dual-Hound run through her body. She flew backwards until she hit one of the trees. She started to slide down its trunk when someone grabbed her by the neck, holding her right where she was, feet skimming the ground. She kept her eyes closed, unwilling to look at any of them. "I would've assumed that you'd be grateful we didn't just kill you," Said Kadaj, his cold voice trembling with fury, "But instead," He continued, squeezing his hand a little tighter around her throat, "You go off attack my family. But oh well," a cold excitement passed through him and she shivered when he spoke again. "Like any disobedient brat, you'll just have to be punished."

Her eyes opened wide, reaching up to grab Kadaj's wrist with both hands. He was as small as her, yet so much stronger. She couldn't loosen his grasp, but she kept her hold on him, using her feet and the tree behind her try and lift her body. Her eyes scanned the clearing, searching. She saw him, just a few feet from the spring with his back facing towards her. "Y-Yazoo..." Her voice was just a squeak but she expected he could still hear her. She was running out of oxygen as Kadaj's grip tightened.

He did hear her and he turned around. But when he looked at her, she wished he hadn't. Anger clear on his face, and then hurt in his thoughts. She wanted to apologize and grovel for forgivness, but found that she could not even breathe any more. She glanced back at Kadaj, who now had Souba in hand, and it was just inches from her neck. With all the strength that she had left, she aimed a kick at his arm, sending the katana back a few feet.

He'd turned to watch as it flew from his hand, and when he turned back, he was glaring daggers at her. She ignored him though, and lashed out with another kick, this one aimed at his torso. His upper body snapped back, and his hold on her was released. She landed on her bum, but stumbled to her feet. Then, while he was still dazed from the first blow, she kneed his gut. She took a few steps back from him, looking over to where Yazoo was again.

She was dizzy, and still out of breath, but she pushed herself forward, taking a step towards him. He was clearly angry though, and aimed his Velvet Nightmare at her. She stumbled to a stop, still out of breath and feeling lightheaded. She wanted to apologize, make him see she regretted terribly for hurting him. She took another, hesitant step forward. "...Sorry..." She said, her voice still barely above a whisper.

"Pardon..?" He said, the pain evident in his voice. He tilted his head in that cute way of his and she offered a small smile.

"I'm...so sorry..." She said, her voice still too weak and her breathing much too heavy. But she wouldn't stop until he could see her honesty.

Jecsie suddenly felt Kadaj's double-bladed sword pressed against the side of her neck. She kept her eyes on Yazoo, though her body stayed frozen in place. She was no longer able to speak, her throat seemed to have dried and she hoped that he could see the plea in her eyes. His expression turned into one in between anger, and regret. She could tell that Kadaj was hesitating – he must've seen his brother's expression. Yazoo's emotions were the same as his expression; angry and regretful, but he couldn't stand the pain in her eyes. "I must've been mistaken, Kadaj," He said, looking to his younger brother, "I suppose that she was just a little...anxious about seeing her friend among the children." He stared back at her and continued, "But she seems to have come to her senses. Right, Jecsie?" The warning in his voice was clear, and she took the chance he offered.

She stayed silent, though she was slowly gaining her breath. She looked to Kadaj. "I...don't know...what came over me..." She said, her voice still a bit raspy, "I never really liked tricking people...But if it means helping you..." She turned back towards Yazoo as she finished, "Then I'd gladly do it." There was a double meaning in her words, and understood it completely.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as he stared back at her. Unfortunately though, Kadaj noticed it. His eyes narrowed as they glancd between his brother and the girl. He really hadn't suspected anything before, but now he could see it as Yazoo lead her back inside the building; the way his arms were wrapped around her waist and her arm over her shoulder. It was entirely too intimate. Yes, he could see it now, and he did not like what was happening here. "Kadaj?"

Kadaj wiped around at the sound of Loz calling his name. "What?" He asked, his voice sharper than he intended.

The eldest remnant hesitated, suddenly unnerved by his brother's expression. "W-what...Uh..." He looked down at the child he held at his side, thinking of how to word his question, "What about _this_ girl? If she's not sick like the others, then what is she for?"

Kadaj was silent as he looked from the girl to one of the windows in the tower. After a while, he shrugged his shoulders. "That girl is one Big Brother's friends," He said, turning back to Loz. Suddenly the older one realized he meant Jescie, not Marlene. "And if she know him, then perhaps this one knows her as well."

"So..." Loz was still confused. His brother wasn't answering his question

"So go take her to her friend!" The annoyance was clear in Kadaj's voice.

"Y-yes!" The elder brother said, picking up the little girl and hurrying inside.

* * *

"What made you change your mind?"

The question startled her; they'd been quiet the whole way up to her room, until he suddenly spoke. "W-what..?" She asked turning back to look at him.

She'd already gotten comfortable on the bed, but Yazoo stayed behind, lingering by the door. He looked down for a moment with his arms crossed. "What change your mind..." He said, "Why did you come back – to us, I mean? I thought you were coming to take back your friend."

When he looked back up, she stood to walk over to him. She took slow steps, unsure of why she was hesitating. She stopped when their bodies were nearly touching, and rested her forehead on his. They stared at the other, eyes locked and unwilling to look away. "Have you ever felt...as if...you had a connection to someone..?" She asked, looking down to their noses. "Like...despite the differences between you...You feel – I dunno – _drawn_ to them?"

"I feel that way with my brothers," He said, "We may be different, by we still love each other; we're family." He finished with a shrug.

"N-no. Uh..." She stuttered, shaking her head, "That's not...that's not what I meant..."

He tilted his head to the side, his eyes curious. "Then...what did you mean?"

"I-"

"Uh...Excuse me?" She was interrupted by Loz, who was standing behind Yazoo in the hallway.

The two pulled away from each other. Jecsie turned her back to them and Yazoo faced his brother. "Yes, Loz?"

"Um..." The eldest brother glanced between Yazoo and Jecsie before answering him, "Kadaj told me to bring her-" He motioned to someone behind him, "-up here to...um..."

"Jecsie," Yazoo helped.

"Y-yeah, so...Here you go!"

When Jecsie turned to see who he brought to her, she was nearly knocked over by Marlene's six-year-old little body. "Jecsie! It's really you!" The little girl cried.

Jecsie couldn't help but chuckle at Marlene's childish reactions. She pulled away from the older woman with a pout on her face. "What's so funny?" She asked, "You haven't come to see us in so long, but you're laughing at me because I missed you?"

"No, Marlene. That's not-"

"And why are you even here anyways?" She said, interrupting Jecsie, "What do these people want with us?" she turned and glared at Yazoo and Loz, who was still in the doorway, "You know, they hurt Tifa too?" At this, Loz made a subtle escape down the hall.

Jecsie glanced up at Yazoo, her eyes pleading that Marlene was lying. For once, his feelings matched his emotionless features – blank. It seemed that whether or not Marlene was lying, he didn't care. It pained her to think of what could've happened to Tifa. Angry tears suddenly pooled in her eyes but she would not let them fall. Not in front of Marlene, and _definitely_ not in front of Yazoo. "Yazoo," She talked through gritted teeth to keep her voice from cracking, "What happened to Tifa?"

He looked down for a moment, thinking about what to say. To tell the truth he wasn't sure; he hadn't been listening when Loz was telling Kadaj about how things went. "Loz...He said that she was still alive...If that's what you're asking?"

She was relived, but also upset. The relief was because her friend was still alive. But she was upset that Tifa had been involved at all. And what about Marlene? Glancing down at the little girl, Jecsie thought about what they could possibly want with her?

He seemed to know what she was thinking, because he said, "Kadaj wants to confront Big Brother," She glanced up at him when he spoke, "so we brought her and the others here..."

"As bait?" She stated disbelievingly.

Yazoo nodded, shameful of the pained expression it brought upon her face. "I'm sorry."


	7. AUTHOR'S NOTE!

_**!IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!**__(Sorry to those who had thought this was an update)_

**Guess what? The old chapters are now done being edited! Yay!**

**The first of the new chapters will be uploaded sometime later t****oday. So until then, please enjoy the edited versions of chapters 1-6, plus the prologue **(If you haven't already, that is)**. Love you guys!**

**- CHIBI-CRAZY**


	8. Chapter 6

_**A/N:**_** And **_**here**_** begins the new chapters for '**_**Vestige'**_**. I'm sorry to any old readers who have been waiting since the original for this thing. I **_**hope**_** not to disappoint! I even made it a little longer, so enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Jescie stood frozen at the large window in Yazoo's room, eyes saddened by the image of all of Edge's children gathered at the opposite end of the spring. Marlene was by her side, fingers looped tightly through the older girl's belt loops. "Jescie…" the child whimpered, both of their eyes haven landed on a familiar mop of brown hair. _'Denzel…'_ Jescie thought,

"I know, Marlene," was all she offered the small child, stroking back her bangs. "I know…"

They both turned as the bedroom door opened slowly, and Loz poked his head in. His eyes caught sight of Jescie's glare on him, and he had the sense to look away. He beckoned with his head out toward the hallway. "Kadaj says it's time for you two to join us now," he said, choosing instead to look to Marlene as he spoke.

The younger girl, in turn, cowered closer to her protector's side. "It's okay, Marlene," Jescie soothed, kneeling down to her level still stroking her hair. "I'm gonna make sure you get out of here safe in sound," she'd lowered her voice so that Loz wouldn't hear her.

Marlene nodded, though she was still hesitant as the older girl led her to the door. Loz led them out to where Kadaj and Yazoo were, examining the glowing contents of a steel box. "Is that..?" Jescie trailed off, looking down at Marlene questioningly.

"Uh-huh!" the little girl confirmed. "They took Cloud's and your Materia too!" She said, pointing accusingly at Loz and Kadaj.

Yazoo looked down at her amused, before his gaze shifted to Jescie. "May I?" he asked, holding up a glowing orb, still donning amusement.

She noticed Kadaj's angry snort and the unsure glance Loz had tossed him, but headed no mind to it. _'Hell, no _way_!'_ was running through her mind. "Of course," she nodded. A gasp came from behind her, and she turned to see Marlene staring disbelievingly at her. _'Cloud won't stand a chance, Jescie, you _idiot_!'_ "Cloud will be able to handle himself just _fine,_ Marlene." She lied.

It hurt to lie to the little girl; it was making her feel numb – she couldn't even feel bothered to feel guilt anymore. But it had to be done, because she couldn't deny him without the chance of losing his trust. It was especially in front of his brothers, after the mishap with the youngest.

Her thoughts were brought to the present when Loz's large frame approached the two females. She narrowed her eyes, and noticed Yazoo staring at his brother with a calculating gaze. Loz seemed to ignore Jescie when he took hold of the little girl at her side, pulling the child by the arm. "Hey!" she exclaimed as Marlene squeaked "Help!"

She raised her arm, fist aimed when another hand took hold of her wrist, another wrapping itself easily around her waist. "He won't hurt her," Yazoo's smooth voice assured her as the other two stationed themselves at Kadaj's right. "Or any of the others," he added, lowering her arm.

She said nothing as he led her with his arm still at her waist to the youngest brother's left side. All five of them stared across the opposite end of the spring, watching the congregation of children there. Her eyes scanned them until she found Denzel in the back of the gathering, eyes wide and staring at the three strange men before them. He probably couldn't see Marlene from where she was, pressed tightly into Loz's side. Jescie would've thought it an embrace between guardian and charge, were it not for the frightened look on the girl's face.

When the boy's eyes landed on the familiar face he saw earlier that day, his eyes widened just a bit more. Jescie brought a finger to her lips, advising him away from acknowledging their relation. Yazoo looked at her, but said nothing about the exchange. Instead, he planted a hard kiss on her right temple, and tightened his hold on her waist almost possessively. She would've smiled, were it not for the current situation.

"Welcome all!" Kadaj's voice suddenly rung out through the clearing, and Jescie instinctively tensed. She didn't like the youngest remnant – at _all_. She heard Yazoo chuckle softly, and she resisted the urge to dig her elbow into his rib.

Kadaj went on, his voice catching her attention once again. "Mother has given me, a very _special_ gift: the power to fight against a Planet that _torments_ humanity." She heard Marlene gasp, as the reality of these men's plans came to the small girl. "She gave this gift to all her children." Both Jescie and Kadaj knew he had the children's attention now, and dread seeped into her gut as his manipulation was starting to take hold.

"That's right." He cooed, pointing across the group and catching the eyes of a few. "You and I are brethren. Brothers and sisters chosen when we inherited mother's mimetic legacy from the Lifestream!" He turned his back to the children momentarily, facing the tower and raising his arms to it in a worshiping manner before looking back. "But the Planet doesn't approve of that; at _all_. It's doing all it can to hold us back.

"That's why; it's wracking out bodies with pain! And filling out hearts, with doubt!" His voice was getting louder, and Jescie notice Denzel and a few others shrinking back from it. Kadaj noticed this too, so his voice lowered just a bit, before it rose once again. "Now I shall heal you; and we will go to Mother together.

"We will join as a family," as the excitement in the young remnant's voice grew, so did the dark cloud of power Jescie could see coming from his body. "and strike back at the Planet!" Suddenly the power around Kadaj seemed to burst, and Jescie gasped in wonderment. The children were shrinking back again, but most still had faces of awe, including Denzel. "Do, as I do." The remnant commanded.

Slowly, he stepped deeper into the spring. Jescie watched wide-eyed as the clear water became murky, and blackened at Kadaj's feet. She could sense the darkness it emitted, a chill going through the air. With deliberate slowness, Kadaj demonstrated what the children were meant to do; he scooped the dark liquid in his hands and brought it to his lips, throwing his head back as he downed in.

He chuckled darkly as the children slowly stepping into the water, going as far as it took to reach their waists before following Kadaj's example. "Denzel."

Jescie's eyes moved at the sound of Marlene's voice, and her heart froze when she saw the small figure standing right before Kadaj. "No," she moaned, moving to go toward him. Yazoo tightened his hold on her further and pulled her securely against his chest. "Denzel!" she and Marlene pleaded as the boy downed the water.

Only then did Yazoo release his hold, and the young woman ran to Denzel, clasping her hands on his shoulders. "Denzel!" she cried. He lifted his head to her, and she nearly choked at the sight of Mako green instead of the bright blue she usually associated with Denzel's eyes. "No…" she whined, pulling the frozen child to her body and tucking his head under her chin.

She couldn't stand to see those green cat-eyes that resembled her own blue ones. A new dislike for the youngest remnant rose within her. She truly hated Kadaj now, for exposing her friend and these other children to Jenova cells in through the spring water. She heard said remnant chuckling behind her, and she turned to glare at him as he spoke. "See, Mother?" he questioned, raising his gaze to the night sky. "All my new brothers and sisters; they can keep me company. Just until I find you."

She would've killed him right then, except Yazoo had hidden her sai and Hira from her again. Just then, a far off noise caught her attention. It was miles away it seemed, but her enhanced hearing, and that of the remnants picked it up easily. In was a motorbike, which could only mean one thing. Kadaj looked to his brothers, still atop the dry land. "Big Brother has come to play." He chuckled.

* * *

Jescie stood at the head of the group, crouched at Denzel's side and trying helplessly to coax him back into consciousness as she held his hands in hers. Marlene stood behind her, small hands gripping the older girl's jacket. The child gasped as a pair of headlights approached them and the other children, and Jescie acted quickly. As the tires of Cloud's Fenrir screeched to a sudden stop, Jescie took hold of both her small friends and jumped away.

She heard Cloud cry out as he fell from the bike and watched the other children doge out of the machine's way. Kadaj nimbly jumped over the contraption, when it was brought to a sudden stop by Loz's foot. From their place in a tree's lower branch, Jescie and Marlene watched Kadaj approach the fallen ex-SOLDIER. "I'm glad you could make it!"

"I only came for the kids!" Cloud warned, an icy glare focused on the remnant.

"See this man?" Kadaj called to the children, ignoring the words of his 'brother'. "He's our big brother!" his voice had a crazed tone in it, and it made Jescie shiver. "But alas! In our happy flock," Souba was aimed to Cloud's head at this point, "he's what you'd call a black sheep."

Marlene gasped as the double-bladed katana was raised. "Cloud!" Jescie cried, her heart clenching at the sight of her old friend in such a defenseless position.

Her cry, however, served to effectively distract Kadaj momentarily. Cloud took the opportunity to rise and he took hold of his Buster Sword, swinging at Kadaj. "Come on," Jescie whispered to Marlene.

She adjusted her grasp on the two small bodies of her friends, before jumping to the ground a ways away from the sounds of battle. She flinched for every gunshot that echoed through the air, but didn't pause until they found their way back to the Capital. "Listen to me, Marlene," She said, crouching to the little girl's eye level. "I'm getting you out of here, but we can't bring Denzel along."

"Why no-!" Marlene was stopped with a finger to her lips.

"Denzel isn't himself right now, Marlene." Jescie explained softly. "But I'm going to stay with him and keep him safe. If I have any chance of helping him it'll probably have to come from Yazoo and his brothers." The girl gave her a strange look when she realized Jescie had used the middle remnant's name specifically, but said nothing. "Now, let's get you _out_ of here!"

They left Denzel with the other children, whom had gathered by the spring again, and took off before the brothers got back. Jescie picked up the sound of hushed conversation up ahead, and Marlene ran ahead when she mentioned one of the voices was Cloud. Jescie was right behind Marlene when the young girl collided with Cloud's body. The ex-SOLDIER looked up, surprised to see them. "Marlene? Jescie?"

"Cloud!" Marlene exclaimed, "Denzel, and Tifa…"

"Tifa is okay," Cloud reassured her, and Jescie sighed in relief at this new information.

"I wanna talk to her!" Marlene demanded. The blonde reached for his phone and paused, before realizing it was missing. She looked to the man at Jescie's right, Vincent, she believed. _'She's persistent, I'll give her that,'_ Jescie thought. "May I?" Marlene asked. Unfortunately, Vincent pulled his cloak back to reveal his lack of a cell phone as well. "You don't have a phone?"

"Vincent, could you bring Marlene to Tifa?" Cloud asked, "I'm gonna go see Shinra and get a few answers."

The cloaked man was shaking his head before Cloud had finished speaking. "I can't do that."

"But I-"

Cloud broke off at the glare Jescie was giving him, when Marlene suddenly pulled away from him. "Forget it Cloud!" She yelled. "Why do you think Jescie left you? You never pay any attention to _us_!" she made a dash for Vincent, who held his cloak for her to hide under.

"Marlene," Cloud said softly, "Please? Give me some time. There's a battle to be fought," he tried to explain, "But it's not as easy as just fighting. Do you understand?"

"No I _don't_!" She said from beneath Vincent's arm.

"Cloud," came the ex-Turk's deep voice. "Are you sure this is about fighting?"

Cloud looked confused, until he looked to Jescie and she spoke. "She's right," she indicated to the child still hidden at the gunslinger's side. "I was tired of being put second, to a memory…"

He looked away from her, and she settled herself comfortably against a tree. She watched as his eyes closed in thought. She still couldn't believe how much he had grown from that sick boy she remembered lugging around with Zack so long ago. She'd seen him mature during the time after their friend's death, until he left with AVALANCHE and left her behind in Midgar. Then, when they reunited after Meteorfall, he'd told her of the loss of the flower girl from the slums.

That was when he began pushing her, as well as the others, away. She stayed with him as long as she could, even after they found Denzel together outside Aerith's church. It was once he began immersing himself in the task of finding a cure to Denzel's geostigma that she could no longer stand the emotional barrier's, and took off.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Cloud quietly asked, "Are sins ever forgiven?"

"I've never tried," Vincent admitted.

"You mean…" he looked down, mumbling to himself, "…never tried…" Then he looked up, resolve etched into his face. "Marlene, let's go!" The girl poked her head out from under Vincent, a bright smile now on her face. As she caught up to the blonde and took his hand, Cloud declared, "Well, I'm gonna try."

Jescie smiled brightly at him, proud of Cloud. "Good luck, Spikey!" she called, getting a thumbs up as a response.

"Jescie," Vincent deadpanned her name, and she turned to give him a curious look. "I've recently had a talk with the Turk-Director Tseng." She stepped forward, suddenly very interested. Vincent paused, as if in thought about what he was about to say. "He gave me some information that I think you might be interested in."

She tilted her head in a confused manner. "Why would-?"

"It has to do with your origins."

* * *

_**A/N**__**: **_**Well, i do hope this came out alright. I did my best.**

**Some of Cloud and Jescie's past together has been revealed! Not sure if I like how that went about or not, but I'll let you guys decide. I don't think that I'm going to say what Vincent told her in the next chapter, but that all depends on how I'm feeling when i write it.**


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